ANNA’S FRIENDS ・INSPIRING BEFORE 50

Queen Rania of Jordan once said,

“Girls with dreams become women with vision.”

Sadly, women with vision are often girls who once used dreaming as a form of escapism.

She isn’t quite 50+ but what she will have achieved by that milestone will carve footprints in the heart’s of women from all over the world. Visionary women, they are the most dangerous breed of them all.

We meet at Bluebird Cafe, on King’s Road in Chelsea for a little introductory heart to heart. You may not be familiar with Anna’s Friends yet, but Anna Palmer is the woman behind this vision. I found her by accident on Twitter one evening while looking for an organisation to support young women in business based in London. What she embodied was exactly what I needed to be around. There was a mutual understanding of suffering, fuelled by a commitment to inspire others. Anna’s Friends has a goal to unite the travelling woman no matter what city she visits, anywhere in the world. For the non-traveller, it will be an open forum for communicating with other women featuring blogs, recipes, fashion and beauty etc.

Not your typical Sloane, this incredibly smart and attractive woman dreams of a world where women unite, share their vulnerabilities and connect on a deeper level. No judgement, no prejudice, just dedication to a nourishing tomorrow. We may be cut from different cloths, but we all share the same cry for help and acceptance. As women weaving our own ways through, sometimes on the correct path, often not, we meet cross roads that question our strength and desire to move forward. You can want change, but how badly do you want it? Our comfort zone always seems a little more appealing. Sometimes you need a little push from a stranger to relight that spark within you. Anna’s Friends will be an international networking service that show you that no matter what you have been through or where you are going, you are not alone.

Her Facebook boasts over 67,000 followers and has grown organically over the past twelve months. She considers herself blessed and fortunate to be in a position to help others and to make a difference. “I still have those days where I don’t want to get out of bed,” like all of us, “…but what I am developing, enriches my spirit and gives me the strength to carry on.” She tells me. Along with daily social media interactions with followers, Anna donates a large portion of money to four separate charities. These charities include- Tostan, Vday, Fistula Foundation, Polaris Project and are the foundation for Anna’s Friends.

When I was seeking guidance to conquer some chaos, the universe sent me Anna Palmer, Founder of Anna’s Friends. Some never engage on this path of struggle and self discovery, while others thrive off it. Anna has inspired me to continue walking at a time in my life where I wanted to throw in the towel and give up. She ignited that fire within that forced me to face my opponent and follow my heart. My heart is set on being an inspirationalist and to be aligned with fellow visionaries, Anna was a blessing in disguise. Hope really does keep the heart alive.Anna’s Friends will be an online community, launching 1st May 2014, that will empower you to move forward, connect and meet other women who share the same scars, fears and desires as you. It will be a movement that won’t go away any time soon because secretly, this is the dream that all like minded women envisioned, once upon a time.

It is way cooler to be friends, instead of frenemies.

** I was asked to consider writing a post about someone over 50 who inspires me for LV= Love Life’s Generation Inspiration competition. I’m past an age where I look up to or even notice celebrities, I devote a lot of my time looking for people making a positive contribution to the world, these people often don’t get the attention they deserve. Anna Palmer is not 50+, in fact she looks younger than me in real life but she will unite women of all ages, from all over the world on a common ground. She’s the woman I aspire to be. Her selflessness has inspired me to carry on and in moments of self doubt as a young woman in a new city, that’s all that really matters.

1 Comment

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You actually make it appear really easy with your presentation however I in finding this matter to be really something that I
feel I would never understand. It kind of feels too complicated
and extremely extensive for me. I am taking a look forward on your subsequent put up, I’ll attempt
to get the hang of it!